Button-sewing attachment for sewing-machines



APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 29, 1919.

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. 9 N Q TN UNHTE JESSE TUCKER, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

BUTTON-SEWING ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

Application filerl September 29, 1919.

the button and article during the upstroke of the needle to cause two of the opposed holes of the button to be alternately alined with the needle for receiving the latter and the thread carried thereby whereby the button is sewed to the article.

Another object is the provision of such improved button and article shifting mechanism which is capable of such adjustment as to vary the length of the stroke of the button holder or clamp to adapt the device for sewing buttons of various sizes.

Another object is the provision is a combined button and article holder by which the button is securely held in predetermined position upon the article.

With these and other objects in view as will appear as the description proceeds the invention comprises the novel features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be more fully described in the following specification and set forth with particularity in the claims appended hereto.

Figure 1 represents a perspective view of the attachment from one side.

Fig. 2 represents a perspective view of the attachment from the side opposite to that Specification of Letters Patent.

TUCKER, a citi Patented Dec. 21, 1920.

Serial No. 327,032.

the plate 5 and constituting a support for the shifting mechanism. The attaching plate 5 is provided on its under side with a pin or lug indicated at 7 adapted to enter the usual recess provided in the bed of the sewing machine, and a screw or other :t'astening element (not shown) is positioned through the aperture 8 located adjacent the lug 7.

Arms 9 and 10 are pivotally secured at 11 and 12, respectively, to the supporting plate 6 and the adjacent terminals of the arms are provided with gear segments 13 and 14 which are disposed in permanent mesh whereby movement of one arm is transmitted to and reversed in the other arm. The forwardly extending arm 10 is provided with an extension 15 having a slot 16 therein receiving the laterally projecting pin 17 of a bifurcated needle holder engaging member 18 which isadapted to embrace the needle holder of the sewing machine whereby os cillatory movement of the arm 10 is effected during vertical reciprocation ot' the sewing machine needle.

Pawls 19 and 20 are pivotally secured at 21 and 21' to the extremities of the arms 9 and 10 and are adapted to alternately engage the reduced extensions or teeth 22 and 23 carried by the upper terminals or the shifting arms 24 and 25, respectively, said arms being pivotally supported upon the pivot pins 11 and 12.

A pair otcompanion ratchet wheels 26 are rotatably mounted upon the pivot pins 11 and 12 on the side of the supporting plate 6 opposite the arms 9 and 10, and each ratchet wheel is provided with relatively wide ratchet teeth 27 each of which is formed with a circumferential recess 28 providing a relatively small supplementary tooth 29 and the pawls 19 and 20 are simultaneously engaged with one main tooth and one supplementary tooth ol' the respective ratchet wheels 26. As will be understood, the recesses between the main teeth oi": the ratchet wheel are of such depth as to permit the pawl lying between said main teeth to engage the reduced terminal 22 or 23 of the arm 24 or 25 whereas the depth of the recesses 28 is such as to maintain the pawl engaged therein out of en gagement with its respective arm terminal. In this manner, during oscillation of the arms 9 and 10, the pawls 19 and 20 are alter- 'tion.

nately permitted to fall into engagement with and operate upon the reduced extremities of the arms 24 and 25.

A double retaining pawl is attached to the supporting plate 6 and includes spring fingers extending into the paths of the teeth of the ratchet wheels 26 and adapted to prevent the latter from turning rearwardly as the arm carried pawls ride over the teeth of the ratchet wheels.

The arms 24 and 25 extend downwardly from their pivotal axes 11 and 12 in substantially parallel relation and are provided with laterally directed lower terminals 31 and 32, respectively, the lateral extension 31 rotatably but not slidably receiving the terminal portion of an adjusting screw 33, and the other lateral extension 32 being provided with internal screw threads coacting with the external screw threads of the screw 33 whereby upon'adjustment of the latter the arms 24 and 25 are either moved toward or away from each other according to the direction of movement of the screw. For convenience of adjustment, the outer terminal of the screw is provided with a finger piece 34, and a guide 35 having opposed lateral extensions 36 is threaded upon the screw intermediate the arms 24 and 25 and is adapted to engage a stop 35 to limit movement f the screw and connected parts.

The upper terminal portion of the attaching plate 5 is formed with a recess 37" in which is slidably disposed the combined button and article holder designated generally by the numeral 38. The side walls of the recess 37 are preferably undercut and the corresponding edges of the body plate 39 of the holder or clamp are provided with ribs engaging the undercut sides and preventing displacement of the holder during reciproca- The'body plate 39 is formed with a longitudinally extending shank portion 40 which is properly offset so as to lie upon the top surface of the attaching plate 5 at the rear of the recess 37 and the extremity of said shank is connected by a link 41 with the extended terminal 31 of the arm 24 whereby the oscillatory movement of said arm during the operation of the button sew- ,ing attachment is transmitted to the com bined button and article holder 38 to cause reciprocation thereof.

The holder 38 comprises the body plate 39 and the article clamping plate 42 having a reduced extension 43 which is pivotally secured at 44 to the shank portion 40 of the body member. The garment or other article to which the button is to be attached is clamped upon the body plate 39 by the clamping plate 42 and a button clamping member 43 is secured at 44 to the rearpor- I tion of the clamping member 42 and is normally retained in engagement therewith by its inherent resiliency whereby a button is securely clamped between the members 42 and 43. The members 42 and 43 as well as the body member 39 are provided with registering slots 45 through which the sening machine needle and thread pass during the operation of the attachment.

For convenience in lifting the clamping plate 42 out of engagement with the body member 39 and thereby releasing the article confined between these parts, a hand lever or arm 46 is pivotally secured at 47 to the shank 40 and is provided at its pivoted ter minal with a cam-shaped projection which underlies the pivoted portion of the clamping or holding member 42 and lifts the lat ter as the hand lever is swung rearwardly.

In applying the attachment to use, the attaching plate 5 is positioned upon the bed of the sewing machine and secured in position thereon by inserting the usual screw ordinarily provided for securing various other attachments in position upon the bed of the sewing machine. The member 18 is subsequently attached to the needle holder of the sewing machine and the handle 46 adjusted so as to lift the article holding or clamping plate 42. Subsequent to properly placing the article beneath the member 42 the handle 46 is returned to initial position and the member 42 securely clamps the article in position. For convenience in inserting buttons of small size in proper position beneath the clamping member 43, a button setting tool illustrated in detail in Fig. 3 is provided and comprises a pair of handles 50 one of which is provided with a lateral extension carrying a lug 51 engaged in a slot 52 formed in a lateral enlargement on the contiguous portion of the other handle member. The terminal of the lug 51 is provided with a head preventing separation of the handle members, and the extremities of the handles are provided with reduced shanks 53 having angular parallel terminals 54 of such diameter as to be received within the holes of small buttons whereby a button may be securely held in position upon the tool upon insertion of the terminals 54 in the holes thereof. A gage or stop 55 is connectedwith the slotted handle member 50 and is adapted to coact with the front edge of the attaching plate 5 in properly setting a button in position beneath the clamping member 53. As stated, the button to be set is engaged with the extremities 54 of the shanks 53 and being held in position upon the tool'is inserted under the clamping member 43 until the inward movement of the setting tool is stopped by engagement of the gage with the front edge of the attaching plate 5. The tool is subsequently removed from the attachment leaving the button in position above the article upon which it is to be sewed. The sewing machine is now operated so as to cause the holder 38 to move inwardly and occupy its innermost position. As the plate moves inwardly to such position the needle enters the outermost hole of the button carrying the thread through the hole and the material disposed beneath the clamping member 42. Qperation of the sewing machine is continued until the holder 38 moves to its foremost position. Now if the screw 33 is properly adjusted the opposed hole in the button will be disposed in aline'ment with the descending needle but if the adjustment of the screw is not correct, it is turned in the proper direction until another hole in the button is in true alinement with the needle and the latter will enter the same during its succeeding downward movement. During adjustment of the holder 38 by proper manipulation of the screw 33, the arm 25, as will be understood, is held against swinging movement by engagement of the pawl 20 with the reduced extension or tooth 23 of the arm 25, and during rotary movement of the screw the latter is moved longitudinally in one direction or the other according to the direction of rotation, and the arm 24- is swung either inwardly or outwardly, due to the rotatable and non-slidable connection of the member 31 or the arm 24 with the terminal of the screw. Obviously the swinging movement of the arm 24 during adjustment of the screw is transmitted to the holder 38 through the link 11. The Screw 33 having been properly adjusted to aline the button holes alternately with the sewing machine needle during reciprocation of the holder 38, the operation of the sewing machine is resumed and during oscillation of the arm 10 movement is transmitted to the arm 9 causing the pawls 19 and 20 to operate upon the teeth or" the ratchet wheels 26. When the tooth of the pawl 19 is engaged with the tooth 22 of the arm 24L, and the extended terminal 15 of the arm 10 moves upwardly during the upstroke of the needle holder in the sewing machine, the

pawl 19 coacts with the terminal of the arm 24 to oscillate the latter, swinging the lower terminal outwardly of the attaching plate 5 and the holder 38 to move inwardly through the link 41. During the operative stroke of the arm 24 incident to engagement of the pawl 19 with the extension 22 of said arm, the other pawl 20 is engaged in one of the relatively shallow recesses 28 in one of the main teeth of the ratchet wheel 26 and is consequently prevented from falling into engagement with the extending terminal 23 of the other arm 25. However, upon the succeeding downstroke of the arm 10 with the needle holder, the pawl 20 rides over and falls behind a main tooth 27 of the ratchet wheel and engages with the reduced extremity of the arm 25. Consequently during succeeding upstroke of the arm 10 wlth the needle holder the pawl 20 operating upon the reduced extremity 23 of the arm 25 pro jects the lower terminal of the latter forwardly and being connected with the arm 24: through the screw 33 the movement of said arm 25 is. transmitted to the holder 38 through said screw, arm 24 and link 41 to cause the holder to move outwardly.

What I claim is:

1. A button sewing attachment for sewing machines comprising an attaching plate, a pair of pivotally mounted arms, a reciprocable button holder, means connecting one of the arms with the button holder whereby movement of said arm is transmitted to the holder, means connecting said arms, and means engageable and operable by the needle bar of a sewing machine for alternately moving the arms in opposite directions.

2. A button sewino attachment for sewing machines comprising a support, coacting arms pivoted to said support, a reciprocable holder, means connecting one of the arms with the holder whereby reciprocatory movement of the latter is produced during oscillation of the arm, needle bar engaging means operable to alternately move the arms in opposite directions, and an adjustable connection between the arms whereby the movement of one arm is transmitted to the other.

3.9; button sewing attachment for sewing machines comprising a support, coacting arms pivoted to said support, a reciprocable holder, means connecting one of the arms with said holder, means engageable and movable with the needle bar of a sewing machine to alternately move the arms in 0pposite directions, and adjustable movement transmitting means connecting the arms whereby the extent of movement of the latter and the holder with relation to the move ment of the needle bar engaging means may be varied. v

4:. A button sewing attachment for sewing machines comprising a support, coacting arms pivoted to said support, means connecting said arms whereby the movement of one is transmitted to the other means, for connecting one of the arms to the needle bar of a sewing machine, a second pair of arms, a holder connected with one of the arms of the second pair, pawls carried by the first mentioned arms engageable with the terminals of the second mentioned arms for actuating the latter, and means for alternately disengaging the pawls from the second mentioned arms to cause alternate movement of the latter in opposite directions during operation of the first mentioned arms.

5. A button sewing attachment for sewing machines comprising a support, coacting arms pivoted to the support and connected for mutual action, means for connecting one of the arms to the needle bar of'a sewing machine, a second pair of arms, pivoted tion between the terminals of the last mentioned arms whereby the extent of movement ofthe second mentioned arms and holder with relation to the movement of the first mentioned arms, may be varied.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature hereto.

JESSE TUCKER. 

